Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-09-12
A GRAND SCHEME
FOR FURNISHING SACRAMENTO
COUNTY WITH WATER.
An Appropriation OF $4,000 Inches
Of Water from the American
River for that Purpose.

II begins TO look as if irrigation for the
complished fact. 1t Is greatly needed; the
need is so great, and the demand from out
side home-seekers 80 pressing for fruit and
vine lands, that Sacramento cannot much
longer delay marrying the water and the
land. Engineer .Grunsky in his report to
the Improvement Association stated that
there are 225, 900 acres of land in this
county that need irrigation, and under it
will prove Of the highest value and invite
the culture Of every acre. He also reported
that we have water in plenty, easy of ac-
cess and capable of delivery to the lands
at such cost as to make the project en-
tirely feasible. There have been, and is
now before the public, three schemes to
bring water to the plains. One is that of the
Sacramento and Amador Canal Company,
with its headquarters at HILLTOP; another
Is the Natoma Water Company, which has
water about Folsom; third is the Ell Do
RADIO Water and Deep Gravel Company of
Ell Dorado county.
There has been more or less of publicity
given TO the capacity of all these companies
to supply the felt need. A fourth scheme
is now advanced. and it comes from Sacra-
mento men, who declare that it is their
settled determination to bring their plans
to earliest possible fruiton. Judge S. c..
benson is the attorney and representative
OF the new movement, and Albert Gallatin
is the leading actor in it. The new movers
recently posted their claim to so, 1000 inches
OF water, to be taken from the American
river at any one of three points; one is
Just below the rapids at Folsom, one mile
and a half below, and the third is a couple
OF miles still further down. At one of
these points the necessary dam will be
constructed, and ditch led out to the
dividing ridge or highest upland between
the Costumes and the American, and con-
tinued thence upon the ridge sou.hwesterly
as far as they can go, TO supply the largest
area of country. C. E. Grunsky is the en-
gineer, and will at once pro-
coed to complete surveys-the prelimin-
airy surveys having already been made-of
three routes for the canal The selection
Of route Cor construction will then be
made, and will be determined upon the
basis of cost, Of the inducements held out
by the people along the several routes, and
the capability of supplying the largest pos
sible area. The canal is to be fifty feet
wide on top, with needed slope to a
depth OF seven feet 1t is the purpose to
supply for irrigation, and to give along the
route water for stock and domestic pur-
poses.
We have endeavored to ascertain what
route is deemed most favorable by the
projectors, but they frankly state that they
Will be largely influenced by the reception
with which they meet, and will adopt the
route where they receive the most sub
stantisl encouragement. all other things
being equal. The projectors declare that
they are in earnest, and that if
they meet with fair encouragement
they will have the water upon the land as
speedily as human energy and muscle can
accompl ish it. II is with them purely
business proposition of four factors; to de-
rive fair revenue from the investment,
and which is determined by rates fixed by
the Supervisors, under the law second, to
encourage the settlement of all lands in the
county in small holdings; third, to answer
I q F,Ar fr,i
to the Sacramento market and finally to
contribute to the business importance of
Sacramento in which they are deeply in
terested.
1t is scarcely necessary TO enlarge upon
the importance of irrigation for Sacramento
uplands The benefits have been SO
often and deliberately set forth in
these columns, that it is certainly
not needed to recapitulate them
now. They have not been more forcibly
presented, or in more straightforward
and practical manner recently, than in
these columns over the signature of E. &.
Hamilton. The earnetness and business
positiveness and GOODNESS of the projectors
of the new scheme impress those who have
inquired of them with their sincerity and
the hope TO begin the dam construction
during the present stage of low water in
the river
Nothing else can accomplish so much for
the rapid and permanent advancement OF
values in real estate throughout Sacra-
mento county, as the furnishing of water
in ample supply for irrigation purposes,
and th ose who accomplish this work will
Law the broadest foundation for q substan-
tial boom for county and city.
In Brief, and to the Point.